Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa António Pedro defended Thursday a greater investment in education and training of staff to fight poverty and promote the industrialisation of the southern Africa and the continent in general.

The UN official was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 43rd SADC Summit of the Heads of State and Government, themed: “Human and financial capital: The key drivers for sustainable industrialisation of the SADC Region”, held Thursday in Luanda.

He referred to the continent’s difficulties, such as poverty and conflicts contrast with the abundance of natural resources.

In his speech, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa also spoke of the need to adopt strategies to fight poverty and inequalities.

António Pedro stated that breaking this “vicious circle” requires a strategic vision and must be supported by industrialisation, the constructive transformation of countries in the region, in particular, and of Africa, in general.

He announced the holding of a summit on the future of Africa next year to discuss the strategies to be adopted in the medium and long term, so that the continent can progress in the 21st century.

The official mentioned, as an example, the fact that Bangladesh exports more textiles in a month than 14 African countries in a year.

To accelerate the pace of industrialisation in the region, he also suggested the formation of partnerships, the creation of an adequate environment for national investment, and the commitment to professional and university education.

The senior UN official also defended a greater commitment to technologies to accelerate sustainable growth and create jobs in the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

He spoke of the need to encourage the creation of cooperatives and the mobilisation of financing for the economy.

António Pedro suggested a greater commitment to the green economy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and preserve the environment.

On the occasion, the official considered it essential to invest in wind and solar energy to improve regional electrification systems in order to leverage business opportunities and accelerate sustainable development.

The SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of the functions of the Community, ultimately becoming the decision-making institution of the organisation.

The SADC Ordinary Summit takes place every year and gathers the Heads of State and Government of the 16 Member States.

The organisation comprises Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)